What Happens if I am Suspected of DUI in Arizona

What Happens If I Am Suspected Of DUI In Arizona?

In Arizona, if you are 21 years of age or older you will face DUI charges if you have a blood alcohol content (BAC) that is higher than .08 percent. If you are a commercial vehicle driver, you will face charges with a BAC of .04 percent. Those who are younger than the legal drinking age of 21 can be charged after any alcohol consumption when operating a vehicle, even if the BAC is .00 percent. As soon as you have been pulled over on being suspected of DUI in Arizona, you will have to submit to a field test. If you refuse to take the field test, you will automatically face a one-year suspension of your license for a first offense charge. You will have a two-year suspension of your license for refusing to submit to a field sobriety test and it is your second or third offense DUI.

Drinking can increase your BAC much faster than you may realize. One drink is equal to three ounces of wine, one ounce of 86 proof liquor, or 12 ounces of beer. An individual who weighs 160 pounds would average an .08 percent BAC after only four drinks. A 120-pound person would most likely have a .08 percent BAC after three drinks. The average 240-pound person would be presumed intoxicated after six drinks.

However, these are the effects of alcohol within an hour on the average for the specified body weight. Each individual can respond differently, so the results of drinking can vary significantly. It is important to drink responsibly and to use caution when drinking. Everyone should get to know his or her own limits to avoid driving under the influence and to prevent facing criminal charges that could impact your life for years to come.

What Happens During A Field Sobriety Test?

If you are suspected of DUI in Arizona, you will be required to take a field sobriety test. A standardized field sobriety test consists of three tests that are performed during a traffic stop so law enforcement can determine if the driver was driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. The three different tests are the walk and turn, the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN), and the one-leg stand.

Research has revealed that officers who have undergone proper training to conduct standardized field sobriety tests can correctly identify drivers who are driving under the influence more than 90% of the time using the test results. These three tests can reveal a lot of information to the officer. The HGN is performed so it can be determined if the driver’s eyes jerk involuntarily when a stimulus is moved from one side to another. As divided attention tests, the one-leg stand and walk and turn are easily performed by the majority of drivers who are not intoxicated.

These tests involve the driver to listen to and then follow instructions while performing some simple physical movements. Drivers who are impaired face challenges when trying to perform tasks that require their attention to be divided between simple physical and mental tasks. There are many different factors that cause an individual to not be able to successfully complete one or more steps of the standardized field sobriety test. As an example, someone with eye disease might not be able to pass the HGN test. The one-leg stand test or the walk and turn test could be impacted by an individual’s by medical conditions, injuries, or age.

If an individual cannot perform any part of the test properly, the officer should ask that person if they have a reason as to why they cannot perform that portion of the test and those responses should be noted in the officer’s report. Some disabilities, such as deafness, should be noted and taken into consideration. An experienced DUI lawyer should be consulted at the earliest if you are suspected of DUI in Arizona.